Coin-controlled vending machine



D. C. CULBREATH COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE March 26,. 1929.

Filed Nov. 20, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet t rro R/vey March 26, 1929.. o. c.CULBREATH 1,706,657

COIN CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE Filed Nov. 20, 1926. 2 Sheets- SheetFig.4. 6

HTTORNQ/ Patented Mar. 26, 1929.

1,706,657 UNITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID GHALMERS GULBREATH, OF I LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOE 'lQWALTER E, RANDALL AND CHARLES I. MCFARLAND, BOTH 0 LOS ANGELES,CALIFORNIA.

COIN- CONTROLLED VENDING MACHINE.

Application filed November 20, 1926. Serial No. 149,626.

The general nature of my present invention being indicated by the abovetitle, I may state, at the outset, that this invention, in preferredembodiments, is suitable for use in the vending of several varieties ofstlck gum, or 116 like; and it is an object of this invention to providea simple and rugged co ncontrolled gun'i vending machine in which aplurality of stacks of sticks of gum, or the like, are so supportedrelatively to a gum chute as to permit of lateral delivery of successivelowermost sticks of gum from said stacks inwardly toward said chute. Inpreferred embodiments of my invention, the coin slots are provided nearsaid respective stacks of gum sticks, and the manipulation of ahorizontal shaft, subsequently to the introduction ofa coin or-coinsinto one or more of said slots, is effective to occasion the deliveryinto said gum chute of a number of sticks of gum corresponding with thenumber of coins used, and assorted, in variety according to the slots inwhich coins were inserted.

It is an object of my invention to provide a gum vending machine, of thegeneral character referred to, in which the mentioned. parts, andadditional fixed and movable parts, may be supported mainly or entirelyfrom a front plate in which the mentioned coin slots are provided; and,in preferred embodiments of my invention, the mentioned shaft beingprovided with a so-called oscillator, fixed thereon, and with one ormore rotors, separately movable thereon, a bearing element for saidshaft may be supported directly or indirectly from a fixed part such assaid gum chute. i

It is a further object of my invention to provide means, including thementioned oscillator and one or more rotors, whereby the insertion of acoin throughthe mentioned slot, and its downward delivery through a coinguide (preferably secured to an external surface of the mentioned gumchute) is ef fective to assure the advance of such rotor, through apredetermined angle, upon the oscillation of the mentionedshaft; and, inpre ferrcd embodiments of my invention, the mentioned advance of a rotorbeing effective to operate, by cam means, a so-called kickout leverdelivering a single stick of gum at each movement into the mentioned gumchute (or delivering a plurality of sticks of gum thereto, in oneoperation, in case coins are inserted through different slots) thementioned oscillator may be provided with means assuring theejection ofa coin therefrom and/or with a full-stroke mechanism serving as aratchet dog constantly pressed toward a corresponding rotor.

It is a further object of my invention to provide, in conjunctionwiththe described parts 01' independently thereof, means whereby, upon thedelivery of a last stick of gum, or the like, from the mentionedsupporting means therefore, any subsequent oscillation of the mentionedshaft, or its equivalent, is effective to advance a coin-excludingfinger, or the like, across a corresponding coin slot, in such manner asto prevent the insertion of coins after the supply of said sticks becomes exhausted.

Further objects and advantageous structural features of my invention,including novel details of construction which enables many of thementioned parts to be formed from sheet-metal and to be supported fromthe front plate of a vending machine, and. including an advantageous useof pins upon the mentioned rotors, to occasion not only a reciprocationof the mentioned kick-out levers but to hold the same, betweenoperations, in positions favorable to the reception.

of additional coins, and including also a full-stroke mechanism andmeans for 1imltmg the movement of the mentioned oscillatorto apredetermined arc, and including also advantageous means for holding mentioned parts in or returning the same to intended normal position ofrest, may be best appreciated from the following description of anillustrated embodiment of my invention, taken in connection with theappended claims and the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 may bereferred to as a front-to back and median vertical section, takensubstantially asindicated by the line l1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section, amounting to a rear view with a back plateremoved, this view, being taken substantially in the plane. indicatedbyline 22 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial vertical section comparable with the lower portionof Fig. 2 but taken from an opposite direction,-substantially asindicated by the lines 3-3 of Fig. 1 and Fig. 4.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section, amounting to The kick-out lever 40, beingpivoted on an axis 42' extending through cars 43 analogous to thementioned cars 43, and

being provided not only, with a stick-eject ing upper portion 44 butwith a cam foot 45, the last mentioned lever may be'operated' (by thepins 37) in a manner essentially similar to that described in connectionwith the lever 38; and said levers may be respec-' insertion of asuitable coin through a slot or slots, such as may be provided in thefront plate 14, or its equivalent (as, at 49,-

49, opposite the upper ends of-coin guides 50, 50, shown as securedtothe respective side plates 19, 19 of the gum chute 20) the lowerportions 51, 51 of said guides may be respectively disposed directlyopposite a slot 34 in the rotor 32 and opposite a slot 35 in 1'otor33,the respective notches 31 vand 31 being invariably returned to aposition suchthat an inserted coin,-held partially within a notch 34 ora not-ch 35, is

effective temporarily to key the rotor 32 and/or the rotor33(accordingly as a coin 'may be inserted into the slot 49 or the slot 49)to the oscillator 29, or its equivalent.

The notches 31 and 31' in the oscillator 29 are so formed as to assurethe outward removal of a coin from a slot 34 or slot 35 in a rotor, byengagement of cylindrical or other cam face (53 and 53), assuming therotors to beheld stationary, in the indicated manner, during the returnofthe oscillator 29 to its normal position of rest, in readiness for thereception of an additional coin; and bot-h the shaft 27 and the fixedend of the spring 52 may advantageously be supported by means such as anarm 55, shown as secured to the side plate 19' of the gum chute 20-andas comprising both bearing exten SlOIlS 56, for said shaft, and a-spring-carrying finger 57,'whose lower end 58 may be laterallydeflected, in a manner-favorable to the retention of the spring 52thereon.

In order positively'to limit the rotative movementof the oscillator 29,or its equivalent, I show a notch 59, into which the bearing extension56 extends, as limited by surfaces 60, 60, disposed atright angles toone another; but it will be obvious that an" equivalent effect might beobtained by the use of any suitable stop means.

In order that, after a coin is inserted, the

said coin shall not be permittedto drop into the bottom of the describedhousing, or into a receptacle optionally provided therein (not shown)except upon the completion of such a manipulation of the handle 28 asassures the delivery of a stick of gum, I may employ, in connection witha describedrotor or rotors, any suitable full stroke mechanism. For example, I may provide such a mechanism in the form of ratchet dogs suchas are shown at 61 and at 62,.these dogs being shown as providedwithcoin engaging teeth 63, upon the lower surfaces thereof,saidsurfaces having an arcuate configuration substantially concentric withthe shaft 27 and being respectively provided with tension springs 64 and65, tending to hold the same in'coin-engaging posit-ion.

If formed of sheet metal the levers 44, 44' may be reinforced by meanssuch as fins 66, 66; and, in order to assure descent-of the stacks39'and 41 of' gum, and also to prevent insertion of coinssubsequent tothe exhaus- 7 tion of said stacks, the kick-out levers 44 and 44 beingshown as respectively provided with slot closing fingers 67, 67, I maydispose upon the receptive uppermost sticks of gum constituting stacks39 and 41 followers 68, of the general character best shown in Fig. 7.As best indicatedin Fig. 6, a notch 69 in each of said followers may beso disposed that, when a follower descends to and rests upon asupporting surface 18 or 18, although the corresponding kick-out lever(44 or 44') isprevented from moving completely inward, it may beinwardly advanced sufliciently to throw its slot-closing finger (67 or67) across the corresponding coin slot,thereby preventing subsequentinsertion of a coin. v 7

It will beseen that each manipulation of the handle 28, or itsequivalent, after the insertion of a coin and coins, must be effectiveunder the described conditions, to deliver one or more sticks of guminto the chute 20 or its equivalent; and, in view :of the shape of thecoin guides 50, 50, including the downward extensions 51 thereof; and itis an lmportant merit of the descrlbed organization that, if severalpennies are inserted v The general mode of operation of my coinvcontrolled vending machine having been indicated so far, as the same isunique, in connection with the foregoing description and summary, Iemphasize in conclusion, the fact that various features of my inventionmight be independently employed; and also the fact that numerousmodifications thereof might be devised, by those skilled in the art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a coin-controlled machine suitable for use in the vending of fiatsticks of gum, or the like: a main housing which comprises a front plateprovided with coin-receiving slots; coin guides extending downwardlytherefrom; a chute secured between a pair of said coin guides; means forsupporting a stack of sticks relatively to each of said coin slots; ashaft rotatively mounted relatively to said guides; and means wherebyrotation of said shaft subsequently to the descent of an inserted cointhrough one of said guides is effective to deliver a stick from acorresponding stack to said chute.

2. An organization of the general character defined in claim 1 in whichsaid stacksupporting means comprises pairs of vertical stack guidessecured to said housing and confining said sticks in end-on arrangement.

3. An organization of the general character defined in claim 1 in whichsaid stack supporting means comprises inner and outer stack guidesspaced apart, lower ends of said inner guides being so formed as topermit either simultaneous or successive inward deliveries of sticksfrom said stacks into said chute.

4. An organization of the. general character defined in claim 1 in whichsaid stacksupporting means comprises inner and outer stack guides spacedapart, lower ends of said inner guides being so formed as to permiteither simultaneous or successive inward deliveries of sticks from saidstacks into said chute, and in which said delivery means is effectivesimultaneously to remove a stick from each stack in case a suitable coinhas been inserted in each slot.

5. An organization of the general character defined in claim 1 in whichsaid chute con'lprises convergent side walls to which coin-guides aresecured.

6. An organization of the general character defined in claim 1 in whichsaid chute comprises convergent side walls to which coin-guides aresecured, said side walls being respectively continuations of elements ofsaid stack supporting means.

7. Means for supporting a stack of sticks to be vended; a chute; anoscillator disposed on a shaft and provided with a eoin-receiv ingnotch; a rotor movable on said shaft and provided with coin-receivingslots adapted to receive and to hold a coin in a position which rendersthe same engageable by said notch; means for oscillating said shaft; andmeans rendering rotation of said rotor, subsequently to the positioningof a coin in one of said slots, effective to cause delivery of a stickinto said chute,said notches in said oscillator being so shaped as tocam said coin therefrom during a restorative movement of saidoscillator. i

8. Means for supporting a stack of sticks to be vended; a chute; anoscillator disposed on a shaft and provided with a coin-receiving notch;a rotor movable on said shaft and provided with coin-receiving slotsadapted to receive and to hold a coin in a position which renders thesame engageable by said notch; means for oscillating said shaft; andmeans rendering rotation of said rotor, subsequently to the insertion ofa coin in one of said slots, effective to cause delivery of a stick intosaid chute,said last-mentioned means comprising cam members, on saidrotor, and a lever which is movable by said cam members and is providedwith means for engaging a lower-most stick to remove the same laterallyfrom said stack into said chute.

9. An organization of the general character defined in claim 8, in whichsaid lever is provided with means normally holding said rotor in acoin-receiving position.

10. An organization of the general character defined in claim 8 in whichsaid lever is provided with means whereby, upon the removal of the laststick from said stack, further insertion of a coin is prevented.

11. A coin-controlled vending machine comprising: a rotor; a levermovable by said rotorto deliver a vended article; an oscillator,adjacent said rotor and secured on a shaft carrying said rotor; meansrendering a limited rotation of said oscillator, subsequently to theinsertion of a coin, effective to advance said rotor; and meansrendering a restorative movement of said oscillator effective to ejectsaid coin therefrom.

12. Means within a housing for supporting a plurality of stacks ofsticks to bevended; a single chute disposed between said supportingmeans; C0111 guides respectively provided with coin-receiving slotsdisposed below said supporting means; an oscillator disposed on a shafttoward which said coin guides converge and provided with coinreceivingnotches therebel'ow; separate rotors disposed, on said shaft, below saidcoin guides and respectively provided with coinreceiving slots adaptedto hold coins in positions rendering the same engageable by saidnotches; means for oscillating said shaft subsequently to the insertionof said coins; and means rendering consequent rotations of said rotorseffective to deliver sticks from said stacks into said chute.

In testimony whereof, I havehereunto set my hand at Los Angeles,California, this 15th day of October, 1926.

DAVID CHALMERS CULBREATH.

